The Marshmallow Test for Weight Loss

 Sometimes we have an urge to do something and it seems that we’ll never be at peace until we do it. Food cravings can be like this. We think about the food we crave all the time, and can’t forget it until we have it. We might eat it impulsively, or compulsively, and then regret it later. But did you ever notice that if you get sidetracked from eating it (i.e. the phone ringing or something unexpected coming up at work) that the urge passes? Urges come and go, and we can train ourselves over time to let them go.

This is like the Marshmallow Test done by psychologist Walter Mischel in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Children being tested were told that they could have one marshmallow now, or wait a few minutes until the researcher returned and then they could have two marshmallows.

Those children who had a ‘hot system of thinking’ would make their decision based on emotions, and choose the one marshmallow now. The ‘cool system of thinking’ children waited for the two marshmallows, and based their decision on logic and considered all the consequences of their actions, seeing which decision benefited them the most in the long run.

In addition, the Marshmallow Test children with ‘hot system thinking’ were more likely to retain that trait as adults, and the  ‘cool system thinking’ children were more likely to retain that trait as adults.

Which type are you? Whatever your answer, please keep in mind that we’re not bound by the tendencies we had as a child. We can always retrain ourselves to do better. How do you do this? Setting the timer for 5 minutes or 10 minutes can be a handy tool. Do this as soon as you see a craving welling up, or start thinking about eating something. Use this time to sit and take some deep breathes, or have a short walk, or read something inspirational. You might notice that the urge has passed and you can continue on without eating. Every time you succeed in doing this, it will strengthen the habit for next time.

Are you ready to give it a try?

Find out more about Carol and the weight loss programs she offers.